VRMMORPG: Rise Of The Blood Paragon

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day for the Envoys from the Elfien Kingdom to arrive finally came.

Much to Lionel's surprise, the incident with the maid's corpse was neatly covered up by Karvin, as if it had never happened. Afterwards, Lionel managed to sort out his troubles regarding the vampire cultivation system through Karvin and by checking the gaming system.

Apparently, Blood Essence is vital to a vampire's life as a cultivator. It's what they use to activate their abilities and skills. For vampires to gain Blood Essence, the creature they are absorbing it from would die after the Vital Blood Essence has been extracted. It flows through the vampire's meridians, settling into the Dantian, and once refined, the process continues. A breakthrough occurs, allowing the vampire to progress to the next cultivation stage.

Additionally, Lionel discovered through the system that he could only gather Blood Essence from those who had already started cultivating. The reason he had reached the first stage is because he had used some of his skills and refined blood essence he had and to keep increasing in stages, he needed to temper himself by practicing his skills and increasing his kill count, as this involved absorbing Blood Essence and refining it further.

In the past two days, Lionel learned all this, along with a critical reminder: Blood Essence cannot just be absorbed indiscriminately. There's always a limit, something Lionel reminded himself of daily as he practiced.

The sun shone over a figure holding a wooden sword. Lionel's legs were positioned far apart, his right leg thrust forward while his left leg moved slightly backward. He stood low, his shoulders high, as he thrust the sword at a practice dummy.

"Good!" Karvin's voice broke through the sounds of Lionel's grunts and the strikes against the hay-made dummy.

Karvin moved to stand by Lionel's side, the sun glistening off his well-toned muscles. Lionel turned to face Karvin, sweat dripping from his body onto the ground. He was out of breath, panting heavily.

"Getting better, right?" Lionel asked, holding his sword limply in his hand.

"Yes, but let's practice a little more—this time, not with dummies," Karvin said.

He picked up a wooden sword from the side and stood in a battle stance. His legs were firmly rooted to the ground, his grip on the sword tight, veins rippling with energy, and his back slightly bent.

"Your Highness, try to strike me," he said.

"Really?" Lionel asked skeptically, eyeing the muscular man before him.

Of course, he doubted his ability to handle a sword effectively. It wasn't so long ago that Karvin had first brought him to the training grounds and handed him a sword.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Lionel had asked, only to be promptly flung to the ground, landing flat on his back. He'd been shocked that Karvin, who called him "Master," would do such a thing.

Karvin had explained that this was per Lionel's—or rather, his predecessor's—request: in the training ground, Karvin was to treat Lionel like any normal colleague.

Now, Lionel dreaded sparring with Karvin, knowing it could lead to new bruises and the inevitable need for ointments.

"Okay… let's do this," Lionel said, gripping his sword as if his life depended on it. He lunged forward, moving swiftly to strike Karvin.

But, of course, it wasn't that easy. Karvin didn't just stand there waiting for the strike to land. Just as the sword was about to hit him, he sidestepped, and the blade missed. Karvin countered, his sword colliding with Lionel's.

The force reverberated through Lionel's hand, causing him to drop the sword and clutch his wrist, grimacing in pain.

"Great, another ointment to apply," Lionel muttered.

"I've told you again and again," Karvin's voice echoed across the training grounds, "your stance needs work. Are you even listening to what I've been saying?"

"Call me a fool, then!" Lionel shouted, anger bubbling up. Perhaps it was his pride as a royal, or perhaps it was the pain in his wrist, but he felt the need to vent.

Karvin quickly bowed his head. "Your Highness, I didn't mean to raise my voice… it's just that your stance really needs improvement. Please pick up the wooden sword again, face me, and follow my instructions."

"Guess I can't escape this, especially if I want to survive…" Lionel muttered, inspecting his wrist one last time before grabbing the wooden sword and facing Karvin.

"Now, listen carefully and follow what I do," Karvin instructed.

"In sword fights, three things are critical: footing, stance, and grip. First, your footing. You need to distribute about a quarter of your strength to your feet. Without this, you'll lose balance easily. Never make the mistake of putting all your strength in your hands. When I struck your sword, the force traveled through your hand, making you drop it. If you hadn't, you could've broken a bone. I commend you for letting it go, but your footing was weak—that's why you got pushed back so easily."

'He's good. No, very good,' Lionel thought, mimicking Karvin's stance.

Karvin demonstrated how to plant one leg forward and the other back, ensuring the rear leg could absorb the impact of an attack while maintaining balance. Lionel adjusted accordingly.

"Like this?" Lionel asked.

Karvin unexpectedly slammed into him.

"Whoa!" Lionel coughed, his face turning red from the impact. "What was that for?"

"Good—you held your ground," Karvin said, stepping back.

"I did?" Lionel looked at himself in surprise. Despite the force, he hadn't fallen.

"Wow… What's the second thing to know?" he asked eagerly.

"Your stance," Karvin replied.

"Isn't that the same as footing?" Lionel asked.

Suddenly, Karvin was in front of him, his sword at Lionel's neck.

"This is what I mean by your stance. In sword fights or battles, it's not just about distributing strength. You also need to be flexible and agile. If I attack from behind, can you turn and counter? If I aim for your legs, can you sidestep? If I strike your head, can you duck in time?"

"Oh… I see."

Karvin proceeded to show Lionel various battle stances, emphasizing their importance for both offense and defense. The training continued with Karvin addressing Lionel's grip, the final key to swordsmanship.

"It's not just about holding the sword. Anyone can hold a sword, but striking effectively without losing it or breaking it is the real skill. Strength distribution is vital for a vampire, especially a beginner like you. Hold the sword with controlled force, attack with precision, and combine good footing, flexibility, and stance."

The training went well, but as they approached the end, Lionel received some unwelcome news:

The Envoys had arrived.